Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin; Written by Himself. [Vol. 2 of 2]
With his Most Interesting Essays, Letters, and Miscellaneous Writings; Familiar, Moral, Political, Economical, and Philosophical, Selected with Care from All His Published Productions, and Comprising Whatever Is Most Entertaining and Valuable to the General Reader

By Benjamin Franklin

Page 32

less so.

The usefulness of some particular parts of the mathematics, in thecommon affairs of human life, has rendered some knowledge of them verynecessary to a great part of mankind, and very convenient to all therest, that are any way conversant beyond the limits of their ownparticular callings.

Those whom necessity has obliged to get their bread by manual industry,where some degree of art is required to go along with it, and who havehad some insight into these studies, have very often found advantagesfrom them sufficient to reward the pains they were at in acquiring them.And whatever may have been imputed to some other studies, under thenotion of insignificance and loss of time, yet these, I believe, nevercaused repentance in any, except it was for their remissness in theprosecution of them.

Philosophers do generally affirm that human knowledge to be mostexcellent which is conversant among the most excellent things. Whatscience, then, can there be more noble, more excellent, more useful formen, more admirably high and demonstrative, than this of themathematics?

I shall conclude with what Plato says, in the seventh book of his_Republic_, with regard to the excellence and usefulness of geometry,being to this purpose:

"Dear friend--You see, then, that mathematics are necessary, because, bythe exactness of the method, we get a habit of using our minds to thebest advantage. And it is remarkable that, all men being capable bynature to reason and understand the sciences, the less acute, bystudying this, though useless to them in every other respect, will gainthis advantage, that their minds will be improved in reasoning aright;for no study employs it more, nor makes it susceptible of attention somuch; and those who we find have a mind worth cultivating, ought toapply themselves to this study."

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THE ART OF PROCURING PLEASANT DREAMS.

_Inscribed to Miss * * * *, being written at her request_

As a great part of our life is spent in sleep, during which we havesometimes pleasant and some times painful dreams, it becomes of someconsequence to obtain the one kind and avoid the other, for, whetherreal or imaginary, pain is pain and pleasure is pleasure. If we cansleep without dreaming, it is well that painful dreams are avoided. If,while we sleep, we can have any pleasing